Ryan ChartrandFocus on moral intentions of both sides in the Gaza conflict
Despite a cease-fire, Hamas fired almost 2,000 rockets into Israel in 2008. Israel responded by targeting Hamas in order to defend itself. Israel announced that it was in favor of extending the cease-fire, provided that Hamas adhered to its conditions. Israel’s conditions include ending all rocket fire and halting weapons smuggling. Hamas later announced that it would not agree to extend the cease-fire.
The announcement of Hamas not wanting to extend the cease-fire shows the moral intentions of each side. As rockets continue to fire into Israel, the nation is simply trying to defend itself by targeting Hamas militants, not civilians. While I am saddened by civilian deaths, most of the people killed in Gaza are Hamas militants who operate in mosques, schools, and other buildings, firing their rockets from those places. Israel doesn’t want civilian deaths. Israel just wants to protect their cities and citizens. How long would Los Angeles wait if rockets were targeted there?
Hamas continues to fire rockets with motives to kill any civilian possible. They do not support the Israel’s existence and will do whatever it takes to kill Israelis, either by rockets or by suicide bombers. Unlike Israel, their moral intentions are dangerous. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the US, the EU, the UN, and by NATO. It does not want peace.
Barack Obama said: “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing.”
Benjamin Nejathaim
Landscape architecture senior